Vignettes
by dragon dreams
Summary: A day in the life of RuHana. This is a series of short, sappy, funny stories that explore this couple's growing love. New chapter alert!
1. Air

* Standard disclaimers apply. All main characters belong to Inoue-san. 

Air 

Hanamichi's arm swung forward, his eyelids fluttered open as his senses told him that something or someone was missing. It took a while for his eyes to adjust to the dimness of the room.

"Kaede…?"

His voice softly called the name but there was no response. Frowning slightly, he again grunted and sat up. Slowly looking around the room he made sure that the person he sought was not in it before finally standing up and carefully fixing his loose pajama bottom. Padding silently he went to the next room where his lover usually went to for some profound contemplations. Hanamichi hesitated for a second before opening the door. Kaede never seemed to mind him intruding on his quiet time. 

The other boy was sitting on the broad French window, his face dimly illuminated by the moon outside. Hanamichi took a moment to admire the profile of his beloved: black hair covering the half-lidded intensely blue eyes, straight nose, full lips, and pale skin that seemed to glow in the moonlight. The other boy quickly noticed his presence and looked up.

"Hanamichi? What are you doing up?" he asked in his usual soft voice.

"I missed my favorite pillow," Hanamichi replied cheekily.

The red head moved forward and settled into the enclave made by brunette's reclined body. Keade's arms immediately moved around him as they both looked out of the window.

"What're you doing here?" he asked as he snuggled into a better position.

"Just thinking," was the laconic reply.

"About what?" Hanamichi persisted.

Kaede shrugged. "Life…me…you."

"Uh-hmm…you didn't mention basketball," he observed. "Then again basketball is your life, right?"

Kaede chuckled softly.

"Basketball is a big part of my life, yes," he said. "But I've come to realize that there are more important things in this world."

"Like…?"

"Air."

"Eh?!"

"Air, d'aho," he enunciated as if to a child. "Oxygen. Without it we wouldn't survive."

"I know what it means but—

Kaede tightened his hold on the younger boy to stop his ramblings.

"You're my air Hanamichi," he whispered into the other's ear. "Without you I wouldn't be able to stay alive."

Hanamichi was for once speechless. He stayed quiet, him listening to Kaede's heartbeat and Kaede staring out of the window once again. After some time the stillness was broken by the redhead's soft voice.

"You're my air too, Kaede."


	2. Bath

** Disclaimer: Slam Dunk characters do not belong to me. These are only dragon dreams written down for fun.

** To all who have reviewed, Crescent Quetzalcoatl, sLL, Nakkie, Tina Caps, Devil, and Rivers. You have given me courage to go on with this insanity. I thank you.

Bath 

Kaede lagged behind some of his fellow players. His eyes automatically searched for a patch of red then remembered that Hanamichi had gone ahead because he had been impatient to take a shower. The redhead had fallen into some slush that afternoon and hadn't been able to take most of the muck off his hair. All through practice Kaede would see him try to sniff his hair and wrinkle his nose. Adorable really. Kaede's musings were interrupted by a loud—

"AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!"

Everyone in the hall covered their ears and stopped. Kaede took only a moment to wince before sprinting into action. 

It was Hanamichi. Only he could be that loud. Hanamichi was alone in the locker room. In the darkroom where evil things lurked! Evil things that might be hurting his d'aho!

"AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!"

Oh no! Hanamichi was being attacked by the evil sentient slimeball made up of smelly socks and dirty jockstraps!

Kaede wrenched the door of the locker room open. _Hanamichi was—_

Hanamichi was standing in the middle of the room, dripping wet and with only a towel around his body. Kaede's mouth went dry.

"Hanamichi!" Ryota shouted as he pushed Kaede aside. "What the heck were you shouting for?!"

"THERE'S NO GODDAMN HOT WATER!" Hanamichi bellowed. "I opened the shower and all I got was cold water! I thought the taps were broken but when I turned the red one full force, all it gave me was more friggin' ice water! And then one of the p-p-pipes burst and there was c-c-cold water everywhere!"

Hanamichi was by then shivering from the cold.

"D'aho it's just water," Kaede said to make up for his slight lapse a moment before.

"J-just water! It was fre-fre-freezing!"

"Waitaminute! Did you say one of the pipes burst?" Ryota butted in. "Aah! The whole place will be flooded!"

The new captain quickly led the others into the shower room. Meanwhile, Hanamichi walked crab-like to his locker and hastily put on some clothes.

"I'm outta here!" he called out.

"Oi!" Ryota screamed while holding a mop and a bucket in his hands. "Where're you going? Help us here! Ha-na-mi-chi!"

Kaede quickly put on his jogging pants and sweatshirt, grabbed his bag, and ran out of the place before Ryota could stop him. It took him several minutes to catch up to his lover.

"Oi."

Hanamichi was still shivering as he walked briskly, managing only to nod at Kaede. The brunette looked around and cursed silently. It was too public. He could even dimly recognize some of the students milling around them. He was still looking around when he noticed that Hanamichi was headed for a different direction.

"Oi, d'aho that's not the way to your house," he called out. "Have you lost what little sense of direction you have from that cold shower?" he added as he stood rooted at the intersection.

"Bastard!" Hanamichi gritted out. "The shower at home is broken too so I'm going to the public bath house at the end of this street."

Kaede's eyes narrowed. 

Public. 

Bath. 

Practically naked Hanamichi being ogled by stinky old men. 

_Over his dead body_. 

Kaede grabbed the hood of Hanamichi's parka and pulled hard.

"Then you're taking your damn shower in my house," he growled.

"But kitsune! You're house is so far!" Hanamichi whined. "And I'm cold. And wet. And freezing. And—"

"I am not letting some dirty old guy see your body!" Kaede hissed.

People began giving the two glaring boys a wide berth. They moved even further when the redhead suddenly laughed maniacally.

"Wha—but all the other guys—in our team see—when we—everyday!" Hanamichi managed gasp out.

"That's different!" Kaede stubbornly countered. "I trust them! Except maybe those new ones…but still they're different from those dolts in those public bath houses!"

Hanamichi just kept laughing until he was leaning on Kaede for support. The other boy frowned then decided to change tactic. He cleared his throat before leaning close to the other's ear.

"Besides, I've got a hot jacuzzi and some bath oils in my house."

The redhead quickly shut up. Kaede internally gloated. And now for the coup de grace.

"C'mon Hanamichi, let's go take a bath" he lowered his voice to a seductive notch, "together."

-end-

Some notes: The part where Kaede thought Hanamichi was being attacked may seem OOC but have you ever noticed just how crazy your thoughts can be when you think that your loved one is in trouble—real or imagined?


	3. Tricks

Disclaimers: These two do not belong to me. The circumstances are a different matter…

Tricks 

Hanamichi's eyes narrowed to mere slits as he focused his whole being on the moving orange ball. Spin, spin, up, down, jump gap, spin, spin, up, down. Non-stop.

The rusty gears in his mind slowly moved and pondered the ball's movements. How did it retain its momentum? How did it manage to jump that space? How? Why? What? When?

The gears in his head protested against the unusual and quite strenuous activity they were undergoing. His science teacher would've suffered a heart attack if she had found out just what was going on inside his brain.

A burning smell intruded in Hanamichi's thoughts but he just shrugged it off. He had his goal set and he would all his genius abilities to get it.

"Oi, d'aho."

Hanamichi grunted as the ball was flung in the air before it was spun on a single finger. Another problem was added for his brain to process. How did _that_ happen?

"Oi! D'aho!"

"Hn."

The boy's eyes continued to bore a hole into the ball until his head hurt from squinting too much. Suddenly his object of intense concentration was dropped into a pale hand. His eyes went back to normal, his body relaxed a little as his gaze shifted to his boyfriend who was approaching him with a worried frown.

"Why'd you stop?" he asked the other boy.

"Eh?" Kaede stopped and stared at him sitting on the bench. 

Hanamichi could practically see question marks popping around the brunette's head.

"Never mind," he declared, standing up and getting the ball from Kaede's hand. "I think I got it already.

"It?" the other boy asked, still very much lost.

Hanamichi sighed, quite unusual in itself since it usually him who was frequently slow on the uptake.

"How you do those basketball tricks of course!"

His face broke into a huge grin and he proceeded to spin the ball on his forefinger, laughing delightedly as if he had discovered Michael Jordan's secret to success.

-end


	4. Lessons

Disclaimer: I don't own them. This is only a fanfiction.

A/N: These vignettes don't really follow a timeline so one story may happen in winter while the next may happen in spring. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have reviewed this fic. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!

Lessons 

"That's enough practice for today," Kaede told his boyfriend who was currently sprawled face down on the ground. He resisted the urge to smack the rump being presented to him in broad daylight. 

Hanamichi sprung from the pavement of the public basketball court where they had been playing for the past hour or so. A slight indentation marked the place where his face had kissed cement.

"Bastard!" the redhead screamed. "You fouled me just as I was about to make my famous dunk!"

"So?" Kaede raised an eyebrow not refuting Hanamichi's accusation.

The other boy pointed a finger at him.

"Aaah! So you don't deny that you fouled me intentionally!!! You bastard!"

"In a real game that would have been a good foul," Kaede countered calmly as he walked towards their things. "I managed to stop you from making a crucial shot."

"But we weren't playing a real game!" Hanamichi maintained his accusing pose. "And you hit me! You actually hurt me!"

"D'aho," Kaede took out a towel from his bag and wiped his sweaty face and arms. "The purpose of these practices is to prepare you for the real games."

"But—"

"And I didn't hit you," he took out his water bottle and took a grateful gulp. "I just charged you and blocked your body with mine."

"Still—"

"_And_ you've fallen down harder before without complaining," he sat down on the bench which held their bags. "So I don't see any reason for you to be upset now." 

As Kaede finished his logical explanations his mind pondered on just how long and how many words he had said in a matter of two minutes. His mind boggled. He was becoming talkative. Still he decided that he had reached his quota of words spoken for the day and he would now shut up.

"Oi Kitsune!" 

Then again it was hard not to retaliate to his boyfriend's inane words. 

"Just because you won this time doesn't mean that I'll let you do that trick again the next time!"

Kaede nodded as Hanamichi joined him on the bench. Good. The d'aho had learned his lesson. He wouldn't let anyone foul him that way in any future games whether during their one-on-ones or during their school's games. Mission accomplished for the day.

Hanamichi mimicked his earlier movements, got his towel then took out his water bottle. Kaede had to raise an eyebrow as the redhead emptied its contents in one long swig. He tried to ignore the other boy but when Hanamichi took off his shirt, wrung it then put it back on he made an odd strangled noise.

"D'aho."

There goes his promise not to speak anymore.

"Why didn't you bring a bigger bottle? You knew it'd be hot today. And why didn't you bring an extra shirt?"

Hanamichi scratched his head.

"Eh-he-he. I woke up late this morning and just grabbed my bag. I didn't know there wasn't any extra clean shirt in it. And, uhm, this was the only bottle in the fridge this morning. I was supposed to put in the pitcher of water last night but I was too tired so I forgot.

Kaede wanted to laugh at Hanamichi's red face but he just grunted his famous term of endearment.

"D'aho."

"Kitsune! Like you haven't forgotten anything in you whole life! Geez you'd think—"

Hanamichi's rants were interrupted by a piece of cloth flung to his face. He was barely fast enough to catch the bottle that came his way seconds after.

"Eh?"

He looked down at the dry white shirt and cool bottle in his hands. 

Kaede's lips lifted at Hanamichi's bewildered expression. He sighed. This was the reason why he always brought extras. His boyfriend could sometimes be so caught up in the moment that the redhead forgot everything else. Kaede had learned _that_ lesson a long time ago.

-End-


	5. Gifts

** Disclaimer: Still dun own 'em.

**Gifts**

December 25. Although Christmas wasn't really celebrated as a holiday in Japan, many people still got into the Christmas frenzy and bought gifts for their loved ones. Like in any other country, citizens could be seen hurrying out for some very last minute grocery and gift shopping. Everything was all hustle and bustle until-

"AAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHH!!!!!"

The whole of Kanagawa reeled from the impact of the scream from a very frustrated and quite irritated redhead boy standing in the middle of a huge mall. Said boy had hair sticking out in all places, one arm supporting a bag of grocery while the other was clenched into a fist where a strip of paper could be seen poking out. He was practically glowing with enough ki to blast anyone to smithereens. That was one reason why shoppers gave him a wide berth despite the fact that there wasn't much elbowroom in the place. He was also cursing up a storm while his eyes roamed the windows of the shops within his vicinity, which might account for people avoiding him even more.

"What am I gonna get the kitsune.?"

He'd been walking the damn mall since it had opened and he still hadn't found the perfect present for his special someone and he needed to give the groceries to his mom and it was getting late and he was running out of time because dinner was in an hour and he had found presents for everyone except for that one particular gift that he couldn't decide on and he'd been to all other malls in the area since the week before and he still hadn't found anything that he'd wanted to give to the kitsune and he didn't have much money anyway and he didn't know what to do anymore!

"AAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHH!!!!!"

Out of sheer desperation, the boy decided to just walk around the mall's ground floor level for the ninth time that day.

He mused as he walked how easy it had been to buy his others friends their gifts. Well.his gang mates were a pretty easy bunch to give gifts to. They liked anything given to them. He'd even managed to get a perfect plant for his mom on the second day of his outing. But the kitsune.granted the boy was extra special being his boyfriend and all but still.

He had almost walked past the display window before the bright colors of a picture book caught his eye. He retraced his steps and pressed his face on the glass panel. His eyes widened and a silly grin spread over his face. It was perfect!

He quickly left the mall and ran to his house. He frantically pushed the doorbell while stomping his boots impatiently.

"Hanamichi! What took you so long?"

Mrs. Sakuragi exclaimed when she opened the door and dragged her son into the warm living room.

"I was about to call the police!" she said as she took the grocery bag from his cold arm. "Good thing these things are just garnishes. Have you bought that gift for Rukawa?"

By that time Hanamichi had taken off his jacket and rubbed some life back into his hands.

"Ak! Yeah! Wait! I have to prepare it!" he answered incoherently as he dashed to the laundry room.

"Better clean up too! Rukawa's coming in 15 minutes!" his mother called after him.

Hanamichi didn't bother to answer as he dashed all over the house in a blur of red and blue. He was panting when the doorbell rang again.

"I'll get it mom!" he hollered as he thundered from the stairs to the door. "Hey Kaede!"

He plastered a huge smile as he ushered the pale and silent boy in. He had been surprised that Kaede had accepted the invitation for the small dinner that his mom had cooked for that day. Then again it was just a small dinner not an actual party with lots of people, something Kaede hated as much as losing a game.

Actually that fact that it had been his mother's idea to invite Kaede in the first place had been an even bigger surprise. Then again, his mother knew that Kaede lived alone and, it being a holiday and all, would be quite lonely in his house. So she had suggested inviting the pale boy for dinner and a sleepover. Usually it would be the redhead who would go over to Kaede's house. They still didn't know what Hanamichi's mother thought about her son's sudden close friendship with Kaede. She probably just thought it was something akin to what he and Youhei had. That must was why her maternal instincts were on overdrive.

"I bought this," Kaede thrust a small package into Hanamichi's hands. "It's for dessert, d'aho."

"Hey thanks!" Hanamichi happily said, his sweet tooth acting up. "Sit down anywhere. I'll just give this to mom and see if the food's ready."

He turned to leave but met his mother at the door to the dining area.

"Gyah! Oh, mom! Kaede bought this."

Mrs. Sakuragi beamed at Kaede who had risen and bowed to her. Hanamichi wondered if it was because the pale boy could be so damn polite that his mother liked him enough to cook for him. Hmp! That just showed how manipulative the kitsune could be.

"This is for you," Kaede whispered as he handed her a small package. "Merry Christmas."

Mrs. Sakuragi's smile mirrored her son's.

"Thank you Rukawa," she said. "I'll open it later. Dinner's done so let's all go and eat."

Supper went smoothly. Hanamichi scarfed his food down. Kaede ate little bit more than usual, which surprised him, but he still talked less. Mrs. Sakuragi tried to keep up some small talk but and her son answered as much as he could in between chomps.

When they had finished the creamy dessert Kaede had bought, Mrs. Sakuragi insisted that Hanamichi just help Kaede unpack his things but the two boys beat her down. She had done the cooking, now it was time for them to do the cleaning. She bowed down to their logic, especially after Hanamichi practically dumped all the dishes into Kaede's arms and marched him into the kitchen.

"Okay, try not to break any plates Hanamichi," she said, smiling at her son's indignant face. She bowed to Kaede. "Thank you again for your gift Rukawa."

Kaede bowed in return. "No, I should thank you for inviting me and for the delicious dinner."

Again, Hanamichi was amazed at how polite Kaede was around his mother.

"Oh it was my pleasure," Mrs. Sakuragi waved her hand a bit. "I always love cooking for my son's friends. Well, good night you two."

She walked out to her room.

The two boys looked at each other then went on to tackle the mountain of dishes in the sink. After that Hanamichi dragged Kaede into his room.

"You cleaned the place," Kaede observed as soon as he entered the place.

"Erm.yeah."

"About time," Kaede nodded, "but you should try cleaning more than once a year d'aho."

"Why you-"

Hanamichi gawked at the present Kaede suddenly shoved towards him before he gleefully took it and all but tore the wrapper into bits. Inside a box he found a silver necklace with a bright ruby fox for a pendant.

He hardly saw Kaede smile at him before taking the necklace from his lax fingers and putting it around his neck.

"D'aho, every time you put this on," he heard Kaede explain, "remember that you're mine and I'm yours. Merry Christmas."

Hanamichi turned bright red as Kaede kissed him on the cheek.

"Uhm.thanks."

He stared at the pendant for several moments before shaking his head and glomping Kaede.

"Thank you! Thank you!"

He spent several minutes showing Kaede just how thankful he was. They were both panting when they parted for air.

"Now I'm not even sure whether I should give you my gift." Hanamichi whispered into Kaede's neck. "It's not expensive or anything.heck I didn't really spend anything on it."

"D'aho. Just give it to me."

"Uhm.okay.just don't expect something like yours or something." Hanamichi warned as he urged Kaede to put on a jacket while he donned one too. He led him out to the balcony of his room.

Outside, the air was clear and crisp. There had been a slight snowfall that afternoon that had left in high definition.

Just outside the door Hanamichi bent over and gave Kaede a small bowl full of water that smelled faintly of lemon and a stick with a loop at the end. The redhead grinned at the other boy's puzzled look.

"Go on. That's my gift."

"Huh?"

Hanamichi sighed and produced another stick similar to Kaede's. He dipped the loop inside the bowl and blew through it creating a big bubble. He turned to Kaede who was watching in bubble in awe. A smile played on his lips until his companion looked back at him.

"Well? What're you waiting for? Go on. Blow one bubble. Betcha can't blow one bigger than what the genius did a while ago. Nya-ha-ha!"

Kaede frowned slightly before imitating Hanamichi's earlier movements. He blew through the loop but all that came out was a pop. Hanamichi's laugh grated on his ear. He dipped the stick again and swished the loop a bit to get the soap to mix with the water. He then blew once more. This time a psychedelic bubble came out of the end and floated lazily around.

Hanamichi didn't waste any time to outdo the size of his boyfriend's creation.

Soon large, wriggling globules of varying colors surrounded them. One drifted toward Hanamichi's nose. He looked at it cross-eyed before it popped right at his face. He heard Kaede chuckling. He scowled then giggled. Pretty soon they were both guffawing at nothing in particular.

After a while Kaede stopped and just stared at Hanamichi. The redhead fidgeted for a moment before erupting.

"Hey stop that kitsune! Why're you looking at me like that anyway," he asked, face matching the color of his hair.

"Why that gift, d'aho?"

"Oh," Hanamichi shrugged, looking at the neighboring houses. "I saw this picture of some kids blowing bubbles and I remembered you saying that you never really played those things when you were a kid so I thought you'd like something like that. I dunno. It just seemed perfect at that time."

He shrugged again then babbled on,

"I know it's not much and I didn't spend anything and I just took some soap from downstairs and-"

"You remembered that?" Kaede whispered.

"Eh?"

"What I said, you remembered it?"

"Oh you mean about the kid thing? 'Course I did!" Hanamichi puffed out his chest. "I'm the genius. I remember everything you say. 'Course you don't say much in the first place-"

He was suddenly wrapped around two tight pale arms.

"Thank you," Kaede whispered incessantly into his ears.

Hanamichi sighed and leaned into the embrace. It took a while for him to become aware of the wetness falling on his neck. It took even longer for him to realize that it was tears.

"Eh? Kitsune?"

He tried to lift Kaede's face up but the other boy tightened his hold and just burrowed deeper into the crook of his neck still whispering thanks.

"Kitsune.?"

Hanamichi began to panic, thinking that he had done something to make his boyfriend sad. He was trying to think of some way to make Kaede stop when the other boy sobbed.

"Thank you.it was perfect.the best present I've ever received.I love it.I love you."

Hanamichi stopped breathing as Kaede relaxed in his arms. Then he heaved a big sigh and tenderly wrapped his own arms around the other boy.

"I love you too. Merry Christmas Kaede."

A/N: This is dedicated to all those frustrated shoppers working against the Christmas rush. Happy Holidays everyone!


	6. Lullaby

** Disclaimer: This part really challenges a writer to be creative. Nope dun own 'em.

** To all who have reviewed, thank you very much.

Lullaby 

Grunt.

_Shift._

_Open an eye._

_Shut eye._

_Turn._

Grunt.

Count one d'aho, two d'aho, three—

He huffed then gave up, opening both eyes. 

He couldn't sleep. He, Kaede Rukawa, master of sleeping anywhere and everywhere, could not sleep. It was a cruel twist of fate.

He again shifted in bed and tried to think of any reason why he now had a bad case of insomnia.

Eat dinner. Check.

Brush teeth. Check.

Watch basketball on TV. Check.

Bathe. Check.

Ritual phone talk with Hanamichi when redhead in not sleeping over. Check.

Yes. He had done his usual night routines._ So why was he not sleepy?_

His eyes shifted to the photo near the phone that showed him and Hanamichi sitting under a cherry blossoms tree near the Kanagawa Park. It was his favorite photo of his boyfriend. Well, besides the one that he secretly kept inside his wallet.

He shivered a bit from the cold as he stared at the photo. After a while, he decided that maybe what he needed was something hot to drink. He hefted his body from the bed and made his way to the kitchen to fix something up. Surprise, surprise, he didn't even so much as nod during the entire procedure of heating up water, fixing his drink and going back to his room.

"I must be coming down with something…" he muttered as slipped again into bed, sipping his drink slowly.

His eyes roamed back to the picture. He didn't notice finishing his drink as he got lost in his staring. When he realized that all he was sipping was air, he gently put down the cup and frowned. 

His mind went back to the recent phone conversation with his boyfriend. He had listened, grunted, and called Hanamichi d'aho as the other boy had chattered on about his day as if the two of them had not spent practically the whole day together. 

Yep, everything had happened like it usually did. _So what was wrong?_

Out of sheer frustration, Kaede mindlessly picked up the phone and speed dialed Hanamichi's number. He was listening to the third ring when his conscience hit him. The redhead would have been fast asleep by then.

"Hello," a sleepy voice rumbled before he could put the unit down. "Oi, anyone there?"

Kaede sighed and slid deeper under his covers.

"D'aho."

"Kitsune," Hanamichi growled but the effect was lost when Kaede heard him yawn. "Why the heck are you calling me at this hour for? This genius needs his beauty sleep you know!"

Kaede snorted.

"Oi! I heard that!" Hanamichi grumbled. "So why'd you call? Hurry up so I can go back to sleep."

Kaede opened his mouth to reply but realized that he really did not have a reason for waking up Hanamichi. He had phoned on impulse, something he was not used to doing. Impulsive acts were the redhead's department.

"Oi, Kitsune, you still there? I'm gonna beat you up tomorrow for this y'know!"

"I—I couldn't sleep," Kaede confessed lamely.

He waited for Hanamichi to laugh but apparently the other boy was too sleepy to do that.

"Then drink something," Hanamichi suggested.

"I already did that."

"Count sheep!"

Kaede hesitated. Was that like counting superdeformed Hanamichis? He supposed so.

"That too."

"Read a book."

He hadn't tried that. It might be worth a shot. He squinted at the dark room and realized that all the books he had were textbooks.

"No use," he murmured.

"Want me to sing a song for you?"

Kaede panicked. His boyfriend's voice could wake up the dead. That was the last thing he needed.

"No!"

"Then there's nothing I can do for you!" Hanamichi growled. "I'm going back to sleep."

"No! Don't hang up," Kaede blurted out.

"Dammit! What the hell do you want me to do?" Hanamichi muttered, quite irritated.

"Just—just keep the phone near you," Kaede said.

"What?"

Kaede could almost see Hanamichi's bewildered look complete with blinking eyes and frowning lips. He couldn't help but smile at the image.

"Don't hang up," he clarified. "Go back to sleep but keep the phone near you."

"Why?"

"Just do it d'aho."

He heard the other boy yawn again.

"Okay, okay," Hanamichi finally agreed. "But you owe me an explanation tomorrow Kitsune."

Kaede just sighed.

He heard Hanamichi shifting around and getting comfortable in bed. 

"G'night Kitsune."

"Night d'aho."

Soon he heard the deep breathing that signaled Hanamichi's return to la-la land. He smiled and faced the space the redhead usually occupied during his sleepovers. Kaede's imagination painted a vivid image of the sleeping redhead—face relaxed, hair messy, tank top rumpled, and one arm around him while the other rested on the pillow. He turned up the volume of the phone and let his boyfriend's sound envelope him. Soon his eyes began to droop. A smile spread on his lips as sleep finally came to him while he listened to his favorite lullaby.

-end-

A/N: These stories are getting sappier and sappier. Ever heard of a dragon that's a hopeless romantic?


	7. Chores

Disclaimer: Dun own 'em.

Thanks yous: To all who reviewed. To all who said that sap is good. ^___^

Truly, I never expected this fic to generate this much reviews. Arigato gozaimasu!

Chores 

Hanamichi bounced on his heels as he waited for the door to be opened. It was a sunny Sunday morning. He and Kaede had planned on spending the day together just lazing around at the fox-boy's house. So here he was waiting for a boyfriend—who didn't seem to want to open his goddamn door!

After several minutes of knocking, shouting, and pounding, the redhead decided to just open the block of wood with the spare key that was given him months before "just in case." Since he rarely used the key and since he accepted most everything at face value, Hanamichi never asked what the "just in case" was.

Once inside, he called his lover's name several times before he found a note on top of the TV.

            _Hanamichi,_

_            I have to go to the grocery for some stuff. I won't be long._

                                                                                                Kaede 

The tall boy frowned. Bumming around an empty house wasn't his idea of fun.

He looked around the quiet living room before grabbing the remote control and plopping down on the sofa across the TV set. He flicked the tube on and spent a few minutes surfing the various channels. Finding nothing interesting he switched it off and looked around the area again. He sighed and began to bounce on his seat. Fidgeting, he stood up and headed for Kaede's room. Maybe he'd find something to do there.

Once upstairs he sweatdropped when he saw the state of his lover's room. Simply put, it was a mess. He tried to make his way through the maze called the floor before tripping on one of the magazines lying there. He scowled at the offending material before deciding to tidy up the room a bit just to prevent further accidents. He briefly wondered how the always-sleepy boy managed to get around the place.

_Put some comic books and magazines on the shelf._

_Straighten the bed._

_Dust picture beside the bed. _

_Dust everything else in the room!_

Some time later, Hanamichi still felt restless. He guessed that the two cups of coffee he had downed that morning were finally taking effect. He sighed then saw several pieces of clothing on a chair. He decided to put them in the hamper inside the bathroom but found the container overflowing with dirty clothes. The boy wrinkled his nose and huffed.

"Hmp! Stupid Kitsune! Really doesn't have the strength or stamina of this genius. Must be because of the extra practices. He can't even do his laundry anymore, messy room…and he has the gall to tell me to clean my room! Hmp!"

He contemplated the hamper for a while before deciding to just carry the whole thing down to the washing machine. He had done all he could for the room. Plus he couldn't think of anything else better to do. Really he wasn't doing this to help his stupid boyfriend or anything! 

Passing by the kitchen on the way to the laundry he saw the sink covered with dirty dishes.

"Geez that Kitsune can be such a slob sometimes…" he grumbled as he finally dumped the clothes down and spent several minutes sorting through them and checking for forgotten things inside the pockets.

A large sweatdrop appeared on his head when he had finished. A pile of loose change, band-aids, lint, foil wrappers, dried grass and various plants, receipts, wristbands, shoelaces, and even a small ID picture of himself surrounded him.

He shook his head, placed the whites inside the machine first, and mechanically went through the process of doing the laundry. Afterwards he scooped up what he had uncovered and headed for the kitchen where he dumped the trash inside the trashcan. The money and the picture he placed on top of the fridge. 

He faced the dirty dishes and shrugged. He turned on the radio near the counter first before attacking the new task, a fast foreign tune accompanying him. 

He hummed underneath his breath as the soapsuds filled the sink. Soon his foot started tapping. His hips began swaying. His torso began moving. By the time he was rinsing the plates, he was already gyrating and spouting off the English words that he could understand at the tops of his lungs, making up the rest of the lyrics that he couldn't make out.

He pulled out the mop when the dishes were placed on the drying rack. Sweeping across the kitchen floor he bopped to a new tune with the mop as his partner. He finished his act with a triple twirl, his right hand dipping the mop handle down, his left hand up in the air, eyes closed in concentration.

It took a while for the clapping to reach his consciousness. When it did, his eyes snapped open and he whirled to find Kaede leaning on the doorframe balancing a bag of grocery in his arm. Blue eyes danced at a flushed Hanamichi and red lips twitched as pale hands clapped softly.

"Uhm…" words failed the redhead.

The raven-haired boy stopped the one-man applause, placed the grocery on the table, and approached him. The washing machine chose that moment to whine as it shifted the clothes inside it. Fox-like eyes widened and Hanamichi saw the brunette glance at the sink behind him before staring back at his face. He squirmed at the intense look so he took his usual way out of any embarrassing events. He bragged—loudly.

"Nya-ha-ha-ha! See how this genius can do chores much better than you! The dishes even squeak because of their cleanliness! Nya-ha-ha!"

His laughter faltered when the stoic boy just gifted him with a rare sweet smile. He was completely silent when the smaller boy sighed.

"Thank you. I've been too tired to do all those things because of practice. Although," Hanamichi saw mischief suddenly enter Kaede's eyes, "I _can_ dreg up some energy for say…the reward I have to give you for doing all these for me."

Hanamichi felt goosebumps on his arm as a pale hand caressed it. He tilted his face to one side as he thought about what the other boy had just said. His eyes widened and he sputtered before his face darkened.

"Wait a minute! Stupid! I didn't do all those things so I can get a reward! Just because I do something nice for you just this once it doesn't mean I want something from you in return! You stupid—"

Hanamichi's tirade was cut short when Kaede pulled him into a hug.

"I know that," the other boy whispered in his ear. "But I still want to give you something. Anything. Just to show my gratitude and appreciation…especially of your impromptu song and dance number a while ago."

Hanamichi's face turned as red as his hair before it became thoughtful.

"Anything?" he asked, pulling back a bit to look at the other's face.

"Anything."

The redhead's face broke into a wide grin, ignoring the somewhat lecherous look the other boy was giving him.

"Kitsune…can you cook something for me? Doing all those chores and that dance! I'm starving!"

Hanamichi's stomach rumbled in agreement. He saw Kaede's startled look before the boy nodded and proceeded to prepare something for him. He smiled slightly as he watched. He would claim his _other_ reward later on. Food first. He and his boyfriend would need _lots_ of energy for _that_ other task.

-End-

A/N: Having a relationship with a hentai, sooner or later even the most naive can become hentaish too right?


	8. Dinner

Disclaimer: Can't own 'em coz I didn't create 'em.

A/N: Been a long time since I placed something here. Just had to put something up for Hana-chan's birthday

Dinner 

Kaede peeked at his boyfriend who was quite obviously uncomfortable with the starched shirt he was wearing. It took a massive effort in Kaede's part not to openly smile at Hanamichi's awkward behavior. The redhead would scratch his collar then shift then grunt as they waited for a waiter to serve them. 

The brunette had chosen the particular outfit for the redhead for that night. It had taken quite a while to cajole the redhead into wearing it but the result had been worth the hassle. Hanamichi looked splendid in the white button down shirt and black slacks. Kaede had noticed several women openly ogling the redhead as they had entered the posh restaurant that evening.

"And people say I'm the gorgeous one between us," he thought as he traced Hanamichi's face with his eyes. "They just don't know better.

"Oi, fox, how long do we have to wait to get some service here?" Hanamichi asked, intruding into his musings. "I'm starving!"

Kaede was saved from answering when a waiter came over and handed them menus.

"Good evening sirs," the man bowed at them. "I am Francois and I will be your waiter for the evening."

Kaede tuned out the waiter's voice as he looked at Hanamichi's scrunched face as the other boy attempted to decipher the menu. How the redhead could look cute and sexy at the same time was beyond the brunette's comprehension. 

"Would you like to order some drinks while you peruse our menu? I would recommend—"

"Wait a minute!" Hanamichi interrupted, frustrated over his lack of comprehension. "Speak in plain Japanese why dontcha? I can't understand a single thing you're saying. Jeez! And what the heck is your name? Fran-what? And what the heck are all these stuff on this list? Are you sure we can eat them?"

How Hanamichi could still look cute while being dumb was another enigma to Kaede.

"Hanamichi…Francois is French," Kaede interjected. "_We_ are in a _French_ restaurant. They serve _French_ food here."

"Stupid fox! I knew that! I just didn't—"

The redhead noticed that several people were giving him odd looks and he finally realized just how loud he had been. He quickly shut his mouth and just glared at his boyfriend.

Kaede waited for Hanamichi to say something but when it became apparent that the other boy had become mute, he just scanned his menu.

"We won't drink anything just yet," he finally said to the waiter. "We'll just call you when we've decided what to order."

"Very well sir," Francois said as he bowed and left the table.

"So," Kaede said as he looked up from his reading, "what do you want to eat?"

Hanamichi glowered at him. Kaede just raised an eyebrow. They stared at each other until Hanamichi growled.

"Why don't you just order for the two of us," Hanamichi gritted out.

Kaede looked back at the menu. He smirked as he heard Hanamichi's almost inaudible gripe.

"You know damn well I can't understand this stupid list! Hmp! Stupid fox!"

Kaede ignored the redhead's grumbling as he recalled his perfect plan for the evening. Nothing but utter perfection was called for Hanamichi's birthday. It took him nearly a month to organize everything.

First would be a romantic dinner—and what could be more romantic than French cuisine!—then an exclusive fireworks display just for his d'aho, and, finally, a stroll at the beach where Kaede would give Hanamichi a special gift. Of course, he was also counting on the "special session" he and his boyfriend would have afterwards.

But first—dinner.

Kaede made his choices and used the waiting time to stare at the once again fidgeting redhead. He had to admit that Hanamichi was actually behaving quite well that night. Proof was that he did not result to violence when the food took a long time to arrive. 

The brunette had tried to curb the redhead's impatience by ordering something from each of the categories on the menu just so Hanamichi would be able to munch on something while waiting for the main course. The way the taller boy scarfed everything down in a matter of seconds did not help though.

Kaede's face softened considerably especially when Hanamichi was in the middle of chewing a piece of the salad ("It's just a fancy name for rabbit food!" Hanamichi had said before attacking the dish) and the redhead had looked up to find Kaede not eating anything. Quickly swallowing—and almost choking in the process—Hanamichi had asked why Kaede was not eating.

"It's okay," Kaede answered. "I'll wait for the main course."

"Che! Idiot! That's why you never have enough energy to play basketball. You never eat enough!"

Hanamichi then proceeded to dump half of the salad on Kaede's plate. He cursed loudly when he managed to spill half of the sauce on the table. Trying to wipe the stain away, he almost pulled the whole tablecloth off the table. He grinned sheepishly at Kaede before sitting still and quietly finishing his salad.

The meal went on smoothly—or as smoothly as a full course meal with a redhead time bomb could be. The coup de grace happened when the main course arrived and Hanamichi asked for soy sauce. Needless to say Francois was scandalized. Kaede was torn between laughing and maintaining a straight face.

"But sir! We do not put the soya sauce on this dish!"

"I don't care what you put on your food! I want soy sauce and I want it now!" Hanamichi roared as he slammed his fist on the table.

This started off a chain of events. First his fork flew up into the air and landed on the hand of a waiter creating a flambé for diners at the next table. The waiter's hand slipped and the fiery concoction slipped off the table on onto the lap of a fat lady. The lady screamed to high heaven because her dress had caught on fire. People tried to put out the flame but one diner accidentally doused a goblet of wine on her. More pandemonium erupted.

Meanwhile, Hanamichi looked on, immensely horrified. He suddenly dashed out of the restaurant startling Kaede. The brunette immediately followed. No one stopped him since everyone was too busy with the flaming lady. 

He was surprised to find Hanamichi bawling like a little child outside the restaurant. The brunette quickly ran towards Hanamichi and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend. 

"Hey, it's okay. The lady didn't get badly burnt," he whispered as he caressed the other boy's back.

Hanamichi hiccupped. "I'm sorry! All your hard plans—ruined—I tried hard to act like you—tried to be nice—but I guess I'm really just an idiot—"

Kaede quickly shut Hanamichi up by kissing him.

"Don't you ever, ever say that, you hear?" he said afterwards, forcing Hanamichi's watery eyes to meet his. "You are the genius, remember? Those people were the idiots! They were bumbling idiots who didn't know what to put on their food and who didn't know how to put out fires. They were the idiots, not you! Never you! Understand?"

Hanamichi's eyes widened at each word Kaede said. This was by far the longest speech the brunette had made and the intensity by which he said them hit the redhead hard. He sniffled then relaxed into Kaede's arms.

The two shared a moment of silence—only to be disturbed by Hanamichi's stomach growling.

Hanamichi sat up and scratched the back of his head.

"Ehe-he. I guess I'm still hungry. Uhm…maybe we can find another restaurant or something…"

Kaede noted the almost panicky look in Hanamichi's eyes. He stood up and helped the other boy to his feet.

"Look," he said after a moment, "this is supposed to be your night. We still have time before the fire—er—before we go to the beach. Is there any place you want to eat?

Hanamichi shyly smiled at him. "Well…there is this place…"

Kaede opened his arms wide. "Lead the way."

Hanamichi grabbed his hand and quickly led him along the dark streets. Several minutes later they were ensconced inside a small noodles shop and Hanamichi was happily slurping soba to his stomach's content. His shirt was open, his pants wrinkled, his face tearstained, but to Kaede, he had never looked more beautiful than that night. Kaede let his lips curve up into a smile as he ate his dinner. 

-End-

Epilogue

The two managed to watch the special fireworks with minimal misadventures. Hanamichi had tried to set off one firework but it had exploded before he could even get near it. He was too spooked to try again so he contented himself with watching the display with childish glee. His enthusiasm, however, tripled when Kaede handed him a small box, which contained a small glass globe. Inside the globe was a miniature fox romping playfully under a sakura tree with cherry blossoms all around it. The redhead showed his _immense_ gratitude the moment the two were alone.


	9. Promise

Disclaimer: Not myne.

A/N: The last was Hana-chan's birthday so here's a belated fic for Kae-chan's

Promise 

"Well then Hanamichi just give my greetings to Rukawa." 

"Yes mom," Hanamichi answered handing his mom her bag and kissing her as the train arrived.

"I'll be back on Saturday."

"Yes mom. Say hello to Auntie and Uncle Sato for me."

"Be sure to check all the appliances when you leave tomorrow."

"Yes mom."

"Double check the locks too."

"Mom! I'm not a kid! And this isn't the first time you've left to visit our relatives in Osaka. Go! The train will leave any minute!"

"All right! I'm going! Take care!"

"You too mom!"

Hanamichi waved and kept on waving his arm until the train was out of sight. Then he ambled back to his house whistling his favorite tune. He decided to make a detour to Youhei's house before going back home. It was dark by the time he left his best friend. He heard the phone ringing just as he entered the key to his door.

"Eh? Who could be calling?" he muttered, opening the door quickly. "Couldn't be Youhei…I'm coming! I'm coming!"

He picked up the receiver and was about to yell when he was cut off by a familiar voice.

"Finally. What took you so long?"

"Stupid kitsune!" Hanamichi moderately yelled. "You know I was supposed to take mom to the station today."

"It took you three hours to get back?" Kaede asked.

"Well, I decided to drop by Youhei's house for dinner."

Hanamichi could almost hear Kaede's lips turning down into a frown.

"Why didn't you just come over to my house?" 

"Sheesh stupid kitsune! Why'd you call anyway?" Hanamichi growled, plopping onto the sofa. "Oi! Kitsune!"

"I just wanted to make sure you didn't forget about tomorrow," Kaede replied after a while.

"Of course! I promised didn't I? I even let mom go alone to my relatives so I could spend New Year with ya!"

"I just wanted to remind you. Idiot like you might have forgotten."

"Hey! What the hell did you say?"

The two insulted each other well into the night. The next day, Hanamichi woke up early. Just as he was leaving the house, the phone rang again. He debated for a second whether to answer it or not. Finally he just decided to answer it.

"Probably that kitsune again…" he grumbled. "Oi, kitsune I'm coming already—"

"Hanamichi?" a woman's voice asked.

"Huh? Who is this?" the redhead asked back.

"Hanamichi this is your aunt. Your mom got into an accident—"

"What! Where is she?' Hanamichi yelled. 

"Your uncle took her to the hospital—"

"Which hospital?"

When he got the name, Hanamichi dropped the phone, rushed out, and headed for the train. All the way to Osaka he kept thinking of the worst possible scenario. His head also kept replaying the time when he had found his father suffering from a heart attack.

"Please let her be fine! Please let her be fine!" he kept mumbling over and over again.

In Osaka he managed to break all speed records as he rushed towards the hospital despite the snow that was starting to fall. When he reached it he almost got into a fight with the guards after he bullied the nurses into giving him his mom's room. Fortunately his uncle found him and immediately led him away.

He burst into the room.

"Mom!"

And found his mother with a foot in a cast.

"Hanamichi? What are you doing here?" his mother asked.

Hanamichi stared at her and hurried over to her side.

"Er…auntie called…said you had an accident…" he stuttered.

"I just twisted an ankle after slipping on some snow," his mother explained. "Didn't your auntie tell you?"

Hanamichi scratched his head then grinned sheepishly. His mother smiled wryly, sighed, then frowned.

"Hanamichi…wait a minute what about Rukawa? Didn't you promise?"

"AH! Oh no! Kaede! I have to call him."

He rushed out and used a public telephone to make his call but all he got was a busy signal. He went back to his mother's room.

"I can't contact him," he announced, fidgeting.

"Then go! You can still keep your promise if you go now!"

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked, hesitating as he peered closely at his mother.

"I'm fine. This is nothing. Mother will be fine."

Hanamichi smiled and kissed her briefly

"Love you mom!" he yelled before rushing out. 

He was halfway across the hall when his uncle called him.

"Do you have enough money for your fare?" his uncle asked, jogging after him.

Hanamichi's eyes went blank before his face turned red. His uncle fondly bopped his head.

"C'mon I'll drive you to the station. This person must be really special if you're this agitated."

Minutes later Hanamichi was on his way back to Kanagawa. Adrenaline seeping out of him, he fell asleep just as the train gathered speed. He woke up with a start when he felt everything become silent. He peered outside and noticed that they were at a station halfway towards his destination. A few minutes later a man's voice crackled over the intercom.

"We are sorry to announce that due to heavy snowfall travel has been indefinitely postponed. For your safety, please wait for a while."

Hanamichi felt his blood grow cold. New Year would be over if he got delayed.

"Please let the train move! Please let the train move!" he began to mumble nearly tearing his hair out as the minutes ticked by. 

He wanted very much to smash something or someone but he kept himself in check. When he neared the breaking point, the train suddenly lurched forward. 

It was almost midnight when he reached Kanagawa. He dashed all the way to Kaede's house. Once there he didn't bother to ring the bell but used his key to enter. 

Inside, everything was dark. Hanamichi headed for the bedroom but a faint sound made him detour towards the dining area. He gasped when he saw the moonlight illuminating what was supposed to be a candle-lit dinner for two. Kaede was sleeping on one side of the setting.

"Kaede…" Hanamichi whispered, tears beginning to form in his eyes.

Kaede shifted and raised his head.

"Hanamichi…?"

Hanamichi walked over and kneeled in front of his boyfriend. Kaede sleepily rubbed his eyes.

"Where were you?" he asked. "I was waiting."

"I know. I'm sorry!"

Hanamichi tearfully recounted his misadventure that day.

"I'm really sorry!" Hanamichi wailed, exhaustion making him more emotional than usual. "I screwed up your birthday for you! I always screw up everything!"

Kaede sighed then pulled the redhead to sit on his lap.

"Stupid," he mumbled.

Hanamichi just sniffed, laying his head on Kaede's shoulder.

"You came didn't you?" Kaede asked softly. "You kept your promise didn't you?"

"But I was late!"

"Doesn't matter," Kaede replied dismissively. "You came. That's what matters."

Hanamichi began to relax. Kaede pushed him up.

"Come on. Let's go to sleep. We can just celebrate tomorrow."

Hanamichi glanced at the table then at Kaede. He smiled awkwardly then leaned forward.

"Happy Birthday Kitsune." 

-end-

Epilogue:

Hanamichi scarfed down sushi as fast as he could without choking.

"And you got a busy signal when you tried to call me?" Kaede asked as he sipped his tea.

Hanamichi just nodded. The doorbell rang and Kaede stood up to open the door. Hanamichi also stood up but went to get more food.

"Mr. Rukawa…?"

Hanamichi stopped then peered around the door to the lounge. His eyes widened when he saw several policemen by the door. 

"We're here to follow up the missing person call that you made for a Hanamichi Sakuragi…"

-end-


	10. Pictures

Disclaimer: Wish they were mine.

A/N: Spring-fun for everyone while walking down memory lane.

Pictures 

Aaah spring! The sun was shining. The wind was blowing. The birds were chirping. Inside a mansion, one Kaede Rukawa was waging a savage war against—dust bunnies. Yep, Kaede was spring-cleaning. 

"I should be practicing," he muttered as he attacked the dust under his bed.

"It's Golden Week!" he hissed and swiped the ceiling.

"Even the d'aho is on a vacation!" he growled as he opened his closet with a bang.

His frown deepened and he slowly slumped down, frustrated energy draining out of him. It had been five days since Hanamichi had gone with his mother for a week-long vacation with some relatives. His boyfriend had invited him to come along but Kaede had refused.

"But Youhei and the gang will be there! C'mon it'll be fun! And my uncle and aunt have been dying to meet you ever since they saw you on TV!" 

Kaede shook his head. Even though the gundan had accepted him as Hanamichi's friend, he still felt uncomfortable with them. He also had a sneaking suspicion that Youhei knew the real score between him and Hanamichi. But the real reason he had refused was that he had become frightened of meeting his boyfriend's relatives. What if he didn't measure up to their standards of being Hanamichi's friend? What if they thought that he was too cold or too snobbish or too—

Kaede growled again and vented his anger on some boxes stacked up at the bottom of his closet. 

He knew that he would miss his redhead but he just didn't know how much until the first night of vacation. 

He awakened the first morning savoring the peace. Trouble started when he practiced that afternoon and he passed the ball to a nonexistent Hanamichi. He had been disoriented for a while after that. Then that night he had been listening to the ringing of the phone when it hit him that Hanamichi was not home to pick up the other line. He had stared at the phone for a few minutes after that.

The next days had gone from bad to worse. Hanamichi had called saying he was having a great time and wished Kaede was there. That phone call had depressed him even more because he wished he was there too. Going out had seemed too much effort. Besides Hanamichi might call again.

So there he was, spending his vacation with the soon-to-be-extinct dust bunnies.

His jerky movements caused one of the boxes to fall down and spill out its contents. Kaede's eyes widened at the photos scattered on the floor. He slowly picked one and saw Hanamichi laughing with his gundan while walking home from school. Kaede smiled as he sifted through the other photos. He had forgotten about the pictures he had taken during his first year in high school. His mind traveled back to the past as he looked at one photo showing Hanamichi getting some shooting tips from Ryota.

"Just relax your arms when you put the ball in the basket," Ryota emphasized as he demonstrated for the nth time the move had been teaching Hanamichi.

_"Yeah, yeah. I got ya," the redhead waved a hand complacently as he tried to follow Ryota's example._

_A few feet from them Kaede pretended that he was arranging something in his bag._

_*Click*_

_Hanamichi faltered and missed the hoop._

_"Hanamichi!" Ryota yelled, frustrated._

_"Hey it wasn't my fault. I heard something!"_

_"Oh please, can't you come up with a better excuse? Listen…"_

_Kaede smirked at the bewildered redhead who kept looking right and left while Ryota delivered his lecture._

Kaede held up another photo showing Hanamichi sitting alone on a slope of grass near the river.

Anzai-sensei's words kept replaying in Kaede's head, keeping him awake as he pedaled back home. Yes. He would become the best player in Japan. Then he would— He suddenly clutched the break and almost toppled off his bike. But it wasn't the impact of his ribs hitting the handle that took his breath away. It was the scene below him. 

The sun was setting, painting the sky orange, red, and dark blue. Some birds were calling out the end of the day. Against this backdrop, sitting on the slope was Hanamichi, his dark blue tank top and jeans making a sharp contrast against his blazing red hair. The boy was staring off into the water in a rare moment of contemplation.

_Kaede choked when he realized he had been holding his breath for quite a while. He hastily fumbled inside his jacket._

_Gadget ready he made sure that the redhead still hadn't spotted him before taking a shot. He was half tempted to call out to Hanamichi so that he would have the redhead looking straight at the lens. But then he'd have to explain why he was taking a picture anyway and he wasn't ready to divulge everything. Not yet. Besides, he didn't want to ruin Hanamichi's peaceful moment. _

He took a moment to stare at Hanamichi before pedaling off. Yes. He would become the best player in Japan. Then he would make Hanamichi his!

Kaede chuckled. Of course, any plans involving the redhead would always—inevitably—change. Hanamichi's unpredictable nature made sure of that. Kaede's face sobered up when he picked up the next picture. It was shot from below Hanamichi who sitting on a bench, his shoelaces untied, his body partially obscured by a shadow, his eyes blazing.

_The mood inside the locker room was decidedly weary but high. There was time! They would beat the team from Sannoh in the second half! They were strong!_

_Hanamichi slumped on the bench. Kaede plopped his bag at the redhead's feet. Hanamichi glared him. Kaede saw him open his mouth to say something probably scathing but Akagi towered over them. The redhead shut his mouth as their captain went over a battle plan._

Meanwhile, Kaede kneeled down and rummaged inside his bag. Timing his actions perfectly he pressed the shutter just as Akagi said something that made Hanamichi's eyes shine with grim determination. Kaede pushed the camera back under his clothes and coolly took out his towel. He stood up and mopped his face as he also listened to Akagi's speech.

Kaede had changed his mind after that. He would become the best player in Japan but only if Hanamichi was by his side. Firmly resolved to let Hanamichi know of his feelings, he had pursued the redhead the only way he knew how—by irritating the other boy even more. He had even accepted the extra training from the All Japan Team just to be near Hanamichi. Because of that, he managed to have the redhead all to himself most of the time.

Kaede smiled at a picture of Hanamichi wearing a violet jacket over a white shirt with a hood, his hair long again. The redhead was staring in confusion at a small bunch of flowers he held in his fingers.

_Kaede leaned against the doorframe and watched Hanamichi double check his bags and survey the room one last time. The redhead grinned. _

_"Watch out Kanagawa, the tensai is back!" he shouted with glee._

_"We better all hide from your ugly face then," Kaede muttered from the door._

_Hanamichi spun around and glared at him._

_"Shut up you stupid fox! I will definitely beat you this time! You just wait! This tensai will show everyone who the best player in Kanagawa is!"_

_"Hn. You can't even be the best player in Shohoku."_

_"Why you!"_

_Hanamichi lunged forward intent on wiping the haughty expression off Kaede's face._

_"Besides why would you settle on being just the best player in Kanagawa?" Kaede asked before the punch could land on his face._

_"Huh?" Hanamichi was so surprised that he stumbled forward._

_Kaede caught him easily and held him up._

_"D'aho, why settle for Kanagawa when you can have the whole Japan, the whole world?" Kaede whispered intensely in his ear._

_He felt Hanamichi shiver. The redhead pushed him away. They stood there staring at each other. Hanamichi was the first to look away._

_"Stupid fox, what the hell is wrong with you? First you visit me a lot but you never say anything when you're here. Then you start acting weird and saying weird things. Are you sick or something? Wait a minute! Aha!" Hanamichi triumphantly pointed a finger at the other boy. "You couldn't handle the training and now you've finally realized that I'm the better player!"_

_He uproariously laughed his signature laugh. Kaede relaxed minutely as he heard the familiar sound. Hanamichi hadn't laughed much throughout the summer._

_A nurse appeared by Kaede's side. She smiled at the boy. Everyone in the hospital already knew the good-looking boy who kept visiting the loudmouth Hanamichi even when the redhead was asleep._

_"Hanamichi, you're mom has settled your bill and is waiting for you downstairs," she said before hurrying towards another room. _

_Hanamichi gathered up his things and walked towards the door, which was still partially blocked by Kaede._

_"Oi, kitsune, get out of the way! My mom is waiting."_

_Kaede still didn't budge. Hanamichi fumed and tried to squeeze out. He found his way suddenly blocked by a small bunch of purple flowers, which were thrust to his chest. He automatically let go of one bag just to grab the flowers._

_"I'll see you in Kanagawa," Kaede whispered before walking off._

_He looked back to see Hanamichi staring at the flowers as if he had never seen anything like them all his life. He easily gave in to the temptation. He brought out his camera and shot a picture of Hanamichi._

_The redhead's eyes widened as he heard the sound of a gadget clicking. A realization had hit him._

_"Wait a minute!"_

_Kaede turned around to walk away._

_"You were the one who kept giving me flowers ever since I got here! I thought it was Haruko-san or my mom…but it was you!"_

_Kaede kept on walking._

_"Oi kitsune! Oi! It was you, wasn't it!"_

Kaede glanced back and saw Hanamichi stumble over the handle of the bag he had dropped. He hurried up to make sure he would be gone by the time Hanamichi freed himself.

"That's the first time ever that you directly let me know about your feelings."

Kaede jumped a little as warm arms wrapped around his shoulders.

"I think the whole hospital knew that a mysterious person gave me flowers everyday. I think there was running bet on it. But those flowers always cheered me up, y'know, whenever I was down. They always reminded me that someone cared. When mom couldn't come but the flowers still came, I would always imagine that I had a secret admirer who was just too shy to talk to me face to face."

Hanamichi took the picture from Kaede's lax fingers.

"But then I learned that it was you. At first I was in denial. I said to myself that you did it just to pick a fight with me and humiliate me."

Kaede relaxed into Hanamichi's arms.

"What made you change your mind?" he asked.

Hanamichi rummaged among the pictures and picked one showing him in a red jacket over a white T-shirt, looking at his feet and scratching the back of his head.

"When I bumped into you in the common court the day after I returned. I confronted you, I was really angry and all but you just said—"

"Because I like you."

Hanamichi shrugged.

"That kinda threw me off."

Kaede twisted his body to better see Hanamichi.

"And I did this."

He kissed Hanamichi softly.

"I thought you weren't due back in two more days?" he asked after a while.

"My uncle had a stomach ache and we had to rush him to the hospital. Mom decided just to come home early since the vacation was already ruined and all."

"Oh."

Hanamichi leaned forward and sifted through the pile of pictures.

"Y'know, I always wondered why I kept hearing this clicking sound everywhere I go. I thought I was losing my mind," he added after a pause.

Kaede snorted.

"I also thought that it was just coincidence that you'd be jogging when I was sitting by the beach or coming into the showers just as I step inside or you'd be partnered with me for clean-up duty most of the time. Now that I see these…kitsune! You were stalking me all along!"

Kaede laughed and pulled his redhead for another kiss. He had started his hobby early spring the previous year. The pictures had been his only company for quite a long time. But, nothing really beat the real thing…

Outside, the sun was shining. The wind was blowing. The birds were chirping. And Kaede forgot his war against the dust bunnies.

-end-

A/N: Rukawa is so stalker material. And, oh, to those who reviewed the last vignette, the story does seem similar to Love Mode doesn't it? Even though I only found out about the manga after I created the vignette. Weird.


End file.
